Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1887-07-28

turning point Of your life. Upon your
truthfulness rests your fate. Open your
heart to me, not as to your enemy but as
10 your friend, and relate to me, without
equivocation, the true story OF your life
from the time you commenced TO plunge
INTO dissipation and disgrace
Awed and conscience stricken, no told
me the story. In the course of his narra-
ton was compelled frequently to prompt
and encourage him, but that, in the result,
1t was truthfully told have not n shadow
of doubt.
His career st college ended, he came TO
London There he made the acquaintance
or Edward Iayton's father, n man who.
although well on in years, was ms weak
minded rs he was himself. They entered
into kind Of partnership, IN which, no
aoubt, the elder man, now In his grave
vas the leader and prompter. From Eu-
STAGES description of Edward Iayton's
fnther L recognized man weak minded as
Eustace himself was, and whose inherent
honor and honesty were warped by his
fatal passion for gambling. Old Mr..
Layton for n long time kept his infatua-
ton from the knowledge of his son, and Il
was not until he was actually involved in
crime and disgrace that Edward became
aware OF il. Long before this Edward
had, through his engagement with Mabel
Rutland, been employed in the hopeless
task of endeayoring to save her be-
loved brother, but when the knowledge
OF his own fathers disgrace was forced
upon him he knew that all hope Of Ma
bells father conscnting to his mar
riage was irretrievably gone. 1t was not
only that the young and the old man had
lost money in betting--it was that they
had actually been guilty of forging bills,
which Mr.. Beach, the father of the woman
whom Edward Layton afterward mar
ried, held in his possession. II was this
that first took Edward Layton to Mr..
Be1:h's house. Mabel had implored him
TO gave her darling brother, against whom
Mr.. Beach had threatened TO take criminal
proceedings. i do not ut this moment
know whether Edward Layton had re-
vealed TO Mabel the disgrace which hung
I;lso above his father; but that is imma-
;erial. Agnes Beach, Mr.. Beach's only
child, saw and fell In love with Edward
Layton, and her father, lisreputablc as he
was, being devoted to his daughter. WINS
guided 10y her in all that subsequently
transpircd. Tho bills he held he deter
minedly refused TO part with, unless Ed
ward Layton married his child
In the terrible position in which lie WINS
placed, knowing that Mabel Rutland was
lost to him forever-knowing how deeply
ana devotedly she loved her brother
misunderstanding tho disgrace which
hung over his own name, he saw no other
way to prevent utter ruin than to enter
into this fatal engagement and to marry n
woman whom he did not love. But. with
full consciousness of the disreputablc
connection he WAS about to form, he laid
no pressing injunction upon his father to
recognize tho unhappy union; and, in
deed, old Mr.. Layton, aware that he wns
in Mr.. Beach's power, was by no means
DESTROYS TO meet him. Love lost, honor
lost, the sword hanging over his head.
Edward Layton submitted to the sacrifice
There was no duplicity on his part Agnes
Beach knew full well that he did not love
ler. He received, as he believed, the
whole of the forged bills which Mr.. Bench
held, and it was not until some time after
his marriage that he discovered that three
or these fatal acceptances had been with
held from him. At the time he mnde this
discovery he was leading II most unhnppy
life with his wife, and On more than one
occasion she tainted him with the power
she held over him.
IL was shortly after the marriage that
weak minded Eustace made the acounint-
nnce of Ida White. She was an attractive
woman, well versed in the wilcs of her
sex, and she played upon him and en-
tangled him TO such an extent that there
was ho cSchpc LOT hln. III IL unnecessary
here to enter into the details OF this con
ncction. IL is sufficient TO say that Ida
White held Eustace Rutland completely
In her power, with firm conviction that
If she could induce him to marry her she
could, after the marriage, obtain the for
givcncss of Eustace's fathc (which would
insure her life OF ease and luxury. But
there was still n certain firmncss in the
young man.
Marry me-" she said.
81 will marry you," Eustace replied,
when get back the forged acccptances.
Where were they' In Mrs. Iayton's
possession.